In medicine, infection is understood as the infection of an organ or tissue with various microorganisms, as well as with parasites and some insects. Therefore, infectious prostatitis is an inflammation in the prostate gland caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi.
The first group of microorganisms most often becomes the culprit. Consider what causes can provoke a prostate infection, how the disease will manifest, and how it can be treated in men.
Causes of Infectious Prostatitis
A healthy man has a defense mechanism against various foreign organisms - the immune system. If this mechanism fails or conditions are created in which the infections are stronger than the immunity, the prostate tissue becomes infected, which leads to an inflammatory process and unpleasant symptoms.
Infectious prostatitis can be caused by:
- Sex with an infected partner. Even if a woman has no obvious symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease but has a pathogen, a man can become infected. As a rule, first the urethritis starts, then an infection along the urinary tract enters the prostate and causes the prostate there.
- Existing focus of infection in the body. The pathogen can enter the prostate with blood flow from other organs in case of pneumonia, flu, caries and other diseases.
- Lifestyle characteristics. Alcohol, nicotine, lack of physical activity weaken the immune system, as a result, bacteria that constantly reside in a person's skin and mucosa become the culprits of the disease.
- Injuries. When playing sports, fighting or accident, a mechanical effect can be exerted on the perineum, which leads to damage to the prostate tissue and can provoke an infectious form of the disease.
- Hypothermia. Due to the low ambient temperature and subsequent freezing, the immune system may not be able to withstand the bacteria that have entered the body.
Infection of the prostate gland is possible with several medical procedures and surgeries. For example, prostatitis can be caused by catheterization, which is done in violation of all rules and regulations. In this case, urethritis develops first and only then, as a complication, prostatitis. Also, the disease can be a biopsy complication.
Sexually transmitted infections are the most dangerous to men's health.
Symptoms of the infectious form
Infectious prostatitis always has an acute course, the symptoms appear suddenly to the patient, intensify rapidly and cause serious concern. It is impossible to ignore the signs of this disease.
Men come to doctors with the following complaints:
- Sharp, often throbbing pain between the anus and the eggs. It can "give" to the genitals, lower back or abdomen.
- Increase in body temperature to 38-39 degrees, fever, chills. The temperature in the rectum may rise, and in the armpit may be maintained within the normal range.
- Frequent urination and urge to urinate, especially at night.
- Pain when urinating, interrupted flow of urine, burning in the urethra.
- Weakness, vomiting, loss of appetite, muscle or joint pain.
- Stool Disorder - constipation occurs or pain occurs during the act of defecation.
- Decreased sexual desire, slow erection, painful ejaculation.
If a man is in no hurry to go to the doctor and suffers from pain or tries to treat himself with antibiotics and folk remedies, the pain and urinary disorders may pass after a certain time. The illusion of recovery arises. In fact, the infection has not gone away and the acute form of prostatitis has developed into a chronic form. This means that occasionally a man will have irritations, and there is also a risk of developing infertility.
Infectious prostatitis can result in blood poisoning and death of the patient, so there is no time to waste trying to cope with the pathology yourself.
Modern diagnostic methods
The clinical picture is so pronounced that the physician can make an accurate diagnosis based on the symptoms listed above. In addition to the typical complaints, the pending medical history is taken into account - so it is important to contact a medical institution in a timely manner.
To choose the right treatment tactics, it is important to understand more precisely what is going on in the body and which pathogen is causing the pathology. Therefore, a certain amount of examination is required for this case.
During the appointment, the doctor will perform the following activities:
- Will measure body temperature in the anus and armpits (with acute infectious prostate, there will be a change in readings up to 0, 5 ° C).
- Check the condition of the lymph nodes in the pelvic region.
- Palpate the lower abdomen, perineum, lower back.
Prostate massage with this form of the disease is not performed due to pronounced pain. Also, such manipulation can provoke the transmission of infection from the glands to other organs and systems, with a possible subsequent death. Even the suspicion of infectious prostate is a contraindication to such procedures.
Laboratory tests of blood, urine, bacterial cultures are important. With their help, you can determine the type of pathogen and confirm the inflammation.
From the instrumental methods, TRUS, CT, MRI, uroflowmetry (to determine the degree of urine flow) and other methods can be used, at the discretion of the attending physician. Most often, transrectal ultrasound examination in combination with laboratory methods and anamnestic data is sufficient. CT or MRI is performed if a tumor is suspected or in suspicious cases.
Modern principles of treatment
If there are no pronounced signs of intoxication of the body, treatment is permissible at home. Otherwise hospitalization, intravenous infusions of antibacterial agents and increased monitoring by medical staff will be required. In either case, a sick person needs to rest in bed - even light physical activity can provoke the spread of infection through the bloodstream.
The treatment of patients aims to achieve two goals: combating pathogenic microflora and improving overall well-being. On the whole, movement in this direction is created to prevent death or the development of complications.
Fighting infection
If during laboratory tests it is found that infectious prostatitis is caused by bacteria (which happens more often), the use of antibacterial agents should become the basis of therapy. If only such treatment is started, then an improvement in well-being will come after 2-3 days. However, for this, the drug must be chosen correctly. The duration of taking the drug is also important - it can be up to a month, depending on the specific medication and the degree of prostate damage. Treatment can not be interrupted.
In addition to the type of pathogen, the physician must consider several other factors.
- Individual characteristics of the patient, condition of the heart, liver and kidneys.
- If possible, make a choice in favor of a stronger drug, overshadowing such bacteriostatic agents.
- The effect of antibacterial drug therapy should be bactericidal, that is, to aim at destroying the pathogen and not to stop its development in the tissues of the prostate gland.
It is for these reasons that infectious prostatitis cannot be treated on its own. Without a medical education and the ability to interpret diagnostic measures, it is almost impossible to choose the right antibacterial substance. Delay, like the wrong treatment in this case, can cost lives.
Symptomatic treatment
The intensity of pain in infectious prostatitis is such that standard pain relievers and antispasmodics may be useless. In such exceptional cases, to relieve the pain, the doctor may prescribe narcotic drugs in a short course.
The following can also be assigned:
- Diuretics (if there is no acute urinary retention) to prevent cystitis.
- Laxatives (if constipation) to relieve pressure on the prostate gland.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Alpha-blockers - to normalize the urination process.
- Muscle relaxants to relieve pelvic floor muscle spasm.
If an acute urinary retention has started during infectious prostatitis, the patient may be placed in a urinary catheter.
If during therapy it becomes clear that the patient's well-being is not improving, this is a reason to do additional TRUS to rule out a possible prostate abscess. In suspicious cases, a biopsy of prostate tissue may also be done. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the patient undergoes urgent surgery to open and drain the abscess. In this case, antibiotic therapy will not be canceled.
Risk of infectious prostatitis
If a man consulted a doctor in a timely manner and did not violate his prescriptions, healing almost always occurs. In some variants of events, a transition to a chronic form or the onset of chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is possible.
Other possible consequences:
- pyelonephritis or cystitis;
- blood poisoning;
- fistula formation.
Infectious prostatitis responds well to treatment if it is started on time. For this, a man should listen to his state of health. If the pain starts in the perineal region with a simultaneous increase in body temperature in the anus and impaired urination, you should immediately consult a doctor. Using folk remedies and following the advice of a friend or wife can end in disaster.